Director, Global Transportation

About the Role

This is a senior leadership opportunity responsible for shaping and optimizing an end-to-end global transportation network across domestic and international freight channels. You will define transportation strategy while ensuring reliable, cost-effective, compliant, and scalable logistics operations. The role spans ocean, truckload/LTL, parcel, drayage, multimodal transportation, and global freight management. You will lead carrier strategy, performance governance, RFPs, cost optimization, risk management, and operational excellence initiatives. Success requires balancing strategic planning with hands-on involvement in daily transportation execution and complex shipment challenges. You will work closely with supply planning, manufacturing, distribution, procurement, quality, regulatory, and customer-facing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead domestic and international transportation operations across ocean, parcel, truckload/LTL, drayage, and multimodal freight networks.
• Develop and execute a global transportation strategy aligned with business growth, customer service, supply chain, and operational objectives.
• Establish scalable transportation processes, governance, and operating standards that improve visibility, predictability, consistency, and execution.
• Oversee shipment booking, routing, tracking, exception management, escalation processes, and proactive communication throughout the transportation lifecycle.
• Improve transit-time reliability, transportation efficiency, and freight performance across distribution centers, manufacturing sites, and global partners.
• Build and manage a comprehensive carrier performance program, including KPIs, scorecards, service-level expectations, Quarterly Business Reviews, performance reviews, and corrective action plans.
• Optimize the carrier portfolio across ocean carriers, NVOCCs, freight forwarders, parcel providers, domestic carriers, and other logistics partners.
• Lead transportation RFPs and sourcing initiatives across domestic freight, ocean, NVOCC, forwarding, and global 3PL services.
• Benchmark transportation rates, assess market conditions, analyze lane economics, and develop data-driven carrier award recommendations.
• Maintain strategic relationships with carriers and logistics providers while ensuring contractual, service, cost, and compliance commitments are met.
• Analyze transportation costs, network efficiency, modal utilization, and cost drivers to identify consolidation, optimization, and long-term savings opportunities.
• Support transportation budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining appropriate service levels.
• Ensure transportation processes align with medical device requirements, documentation standards, global trade regulations, and applicable compliance expectations.
• Maintain audit-ready transportation documentation and appropriate product traceability throughout logistics workflows.
• Develop risk mitigation strategies for port disruptions, geopolitical events, carrier failures, capacity constraints, and other global transportation risks.
• Partner with supply planning, distribution, manufacturing, quality, procurement, customer service, and regulatory teams to align transportation capabilities with business priorities.
• Participate in S&OP activities and support new product introductions, market expansion, and customer-focused logistics initiatives.
• Lead, coach, and develop transportation professionals through clear objectives, performance management, succession planning, talent development, and continuous feedback.
• Manage team resources and budgets responsibly while fostering accountability, inclusion, innovation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Stay informed about transportation market cycles, regulatory developments, emerging technologies, and global logistics trends to guide strategic decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or a related field required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in transportation, logistics, or global supply chain.
• Proven experience managing complex global freight operations and diverse carrier networks across multiple transportation modes.
• Deep expertise in ocean freight, domestic truckload/LTL, parcel, drayage, multimodal transportation, and international logistics.
• Strong knowledge of global freight management, carrier strategy, transportation sourcing, RFP execution, and logistics provider management.
• Working knowledge of Incoterms, customs processes, international trade requirements, and global transportation compliance.
• Experience operating within regulated industries such as medical devices, pharmaceuticals, healthcare manufacturing, or similarly controlled environments is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage transportation KPIs, carrier scorecards, dashboards, performance analytics, and service-level metrics.
• Experience with Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and related transportation technologies.
• Strong analytical and financial capabilities, including transportation cost analysis, lane economics, budgeting, forecasting, benchmarking, and cost-to-serve optimization.
• Demonstrated success negotiating with and managing carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, 3PLs, and other logistics partners.
• Strong understanding of operational risk management and the ability to develop mitigation strategies for disruptions, capacity challenges, and geopolitical events.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders across supply chain, procurement, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and commercial functions.
• Ability to operate strategically while remaining engaged with day-to-day operational execution and complex transportation issues.
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, organizational, and continuous-improvement skills.
• Results-oriented mindset with a strong focus on accountability, service performance, efficiency, and cost optimization.
• Ability to lead, mentor, motivate, and develop high-performing teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to approximately 30%, including occasional international travel.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary of approximately $160,000-$180,000, with final compensation determined by experience, skills, qualifications, and geographic location.
• Potential eligibility for bonus, commission, or other incentive compensation depending on position and eligibility.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Bereavement and medical leave benefits.
• Employee Assistance Program resources.
• Opportunities to lead a high-impact global transportation function within a growing healthcare and medical products environment.
• Significant exposure to international logistics, global carrier strategy, transportation technology, and supply chain transformation.
• Leadership and professional development opportunities through team-building, strategic initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration.
• A workplace culture centered on customer focus, accountability, continuous improvement, inclusion, and operational excellence.